A toddler in California has been killed after he was mauled to death by the family dog on Friday. Police are calling the incident a "horrible tragedy," which occurred in front of stunned family members who tried to intervene but were ultimately unsuccessful.
Police were called to the scene around 3 p.m. September 20.
CBS 13 reports that police and animal control are still investigating what happened on the day of the violent attack, but what is known is that a 6-year-old female pit bull brutally mauled the 13-month-old while he was being watched by a relative in a home in Granite Bay, California.
Animal control has taken the dog into custody, while the family mourns their unimaginable loss.
“We never want to see this; this it’s a complete tragedy and our heart goes out to family," Placer County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Lt. Andrew Scott told CBS 13. "I can’t imagine what they’re going through."
As Scott later told KTLA, "This family has been completely devastated by what occurred. It’s a very emotional situation at this time.”
Meanwhile, detectives from the Crimes Against Persons unit are still investigating.
Police have said that the incident was "an unprovoked attack," leaving questions as to what could have sparked the dog's sudden burst of violence.
A police statement from the Placer County Sheriff's Department on September 20 notes that the boy was immediately rushed to Sutter Roseville Medical Center but was ultimately declared dead.
"There are no issues leading us to believe this was anything other than a horrible tragedy," the statement continued.
Police have yet to release the boy's name, but did divulge that he was an only child.
Prior to the incident, the boy and the dog allegedly did not have any contact, and as the attack was happening, an unnamed relative reportedly tried to intervene, but to no avail.
“The relative rescued the baby boy from the dog," Scott said. "Right now we have no information that leads us to believe that there was any negligence on the part of anyone in the household."
